I'm pretty dissapointed with what BMW has done for this model, it's just an F650 (single) with a facelift. If you read the press release they go on about it having tried and tested mechanicals.... ie they didn't do a thing.

Not that there's anything wrong with the old F650 (I ride a Funduro) but they could have at least thrown on some USD forks or something.

as much as i like the looks of this bike it still has the same POS water pump........you know the one that fails every 20,000 miles or so. BMW really needs to address this issue but then again, they won't admit to FD failures on bikes that cost easily twice as much as the G650. nice bike but the same old water pump design is what would prevent me from buying one.

I think BMW have hit the nail on the head here. There was nothing much wrong with the old F650gs and the parallel twin version was... crap. There, I said it. I had the 800gs and that was crap too. I said it again...
This is a lazy redesign of a bike that didn't need redesigning. Also redesigning cost money and so does research , neither have gone into this which is why they're planning to sell it cheap, cheap enough to be financially competitive against the Jap-crap.
I will be interested if there's a "Dakar" version but even without it this is a good basis for a true adventure capable bike.

I reckon they will do a "better" version and call it "Adventure" as Dakar just isn't relevant any more. Anyway, BMW are pretty good with the options list now, that's where they make their money. You may be able to turn the G650gs into a decent bike by ticking the right boxes... and paying the right amount.